Before joining VSA, Leslee was Staff Director and Counsel of the House of Representatives’ Science, Space, and Technology Committee, the primary committee for overseeing non-defense research and development in agencies such as NSF, NASA, NIST, NOAA, EPA, and the Departments of Energy, Homeland Security, and Transportation. She played a central role in developing and implementing Federal science, technology, and civil space policy, including NASA reauthorization bills, the Energy Independence and Security Act, and America COMPETES.